In chapter 16, Catherine has just died after giving birth
to young Catherine, a puny baby that is born prematurely. Heathcliff has been keeping
vigil outside of the house because Edgar Linton would not let him in to be by
Catherine's bedside when she died. Nelly goes outside to try to find Healthcliff to tell
him that Catherine has died. She wants to inform him of what has happened, yet she is
fearful of finding him at the same time. She sees Heathcliff outside, leaning up against
a tree. He has obviously been outside watching all night. He is disheveled and grieving
and he tells Nelly that she does not need to tell him that Catherine is dead, he already
knows.
Heathcliff and Nelly have a conversation about
Catherine's death and although Heathcliff is obviously grieving, he is angry and bitter
and blasphemous when Nelly tells him that Catherine is at peace, and in a better place.
Heathcliff rejects this reference to heaven and continues to answer Nelly with anger and
bitterness. Nelly believes he is just so troubled that he is trying to hide his
faith:
“Poor
wretch!” I thought; “you have a heart and nerves the same as your brother men! Why
should you be anxious to conceal them? Your pride cannot blind God! You tempt him to
wring them, till he forces a cry of
humiliation.”
However,
Heathcliff will have no part of this. He is angry at Catherine for leaving him, for not
calling for him, for not mentioning his name:
“May she wake in torment!” he cried, with
frightful vehemence, stamping his foot, and groaning in a sudden paroxysm of
ungovernable passion. “Why, she's a liar to the end! Where is she? Not there—not in
heaven—not
perished—where?
This chapter
shows Heathcliff at his worst - a very scary character who both loves Catherine
passionately and at the same time hates her for her treatment of him and for having
married Edgar Linton.
No comments:
Post a Comment